I couldn't help thinking of a Three Stooges short in which the three were getting dressed for a formal event and Moe was struggling to get a cummerbund around Curly's waist. He complained, "I could get this around ya if you didn't have TB." Curly said, "TB?" Moe said, "Yeah, Two Bellies."

David Woolf's New York Times crossword was disappointing. He used French (COQ), Greek (RHO), Vietnamese (PHO), Latin (IDEST) and Spanish (ESOS, ESTA, PESO, CERVEZA). He also included the over-used words AJAR, APE, ASP, ELAN, IRA, OPAL and SPA.

The Universal crossword also contained several over-used words: ACT, AGE, AISLE, ALL, AREA, EER, EGO, EKE, ELK, ODE, OPT and SPA. The 13x13 NEA crossword included only two seven-letter words. All the other words were of six letters or fewer.

I am unsure why you believe Latin terminology to be inappropriate for Xwords, but as Latin has been the language of scholars, even in English, and since Latin expressions are continually used in English, I see Latin use in Xwords not only acceptable but perhaps to be lauded.

Nota bene: I am guessing that your name is Thompson and you were born in 1950

Yes to your first guess, no to your second guess. When I first got AOL in 1995, none of the screen names I wanted was available. AOL suggested that I use part of my name followed by some numbers. I thought of using Thomps2000 but in the year 2001 the name would be out of date. I thought of using Thomps2020 but in the year 2021 that name would be out of date. Then I remembered the 1969 Zager & Evans song In The Year 2525. I will be long gone before we reach that year.

Remember Vicki Lawrence, who was a regular performer on The Carol Burnett Show, starred in Mama's Family and had a number-one hit with The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia? She and I were born on the same day in 1949.